


Playing House

by DetectiveChloeMorningstar



Category: The Mentalist
Genre: Cuties, F/M, Fluffyfest, Funny, Jane x Lisbon, Jisbon, One Shot, The Mentalist - Freeform, Undercover as a Couple, i loved writing this, so much fun
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-10
Updated: 2017-07-10
Packaged: 2018-11-30 04:57:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,731
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11456463
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DetectiveChloeMorningstar/pseuds/DetectiveChloeMorningstar
Summary: "Walls didn’t stop him. Patrick Jane was the dynamite that blew them to nothing more than rubble." When Jane and Lisbon are tasked to solve a murder undercover as an engaged couple, Lisbon is anything but enthusiastic but soon it turns into much deeper feelings than just a cover and it becomes more than just playing house...





	Playing House

**Author's Note:**

> Another old one-shot from my Wattpad account! Hope you guys enjoy it! xx

Playing House  
By: S.K. Knight

“I don’t know why we even have to do this, Bertram knows that even the possibility of us “living together” for a day is crazy but a week is just asinine.” Lisbon complained, dragging her suitcase into what would be their new “house” for the week. Bertram had given them an assignment in a neighborhood near their home of Sacramento, and they were undercover working the case as the newly engaged “couple,” Katie Dalton and Thomas Collins.  
Jane dragged his suitcase in, shutting the door behind him, smirking at her. “Oh, come on, Lisbon, where’s your sense of adventure? This could be fun.”  
Lisbon crossed her arms and frowned, her tone dripping obvious sarcasm. “First, for the rest of this week, I’m Katie Dalton and you’re Thomas Collins. And if by “fun,” you mean torturing me like you usually do and not telling me about your crazy plans, then yeah, this will be tons of fun.”  
Jane shook his head at her mockingly. “Now, Katie, darling, we’re engaged. It would be so much more believable if you eased up on the blatant sarcasm.”  
Lisbon glared at him and went into the bedroom to unpack as Jane went to greet the moving van.  
“By the way,” she yelled from the bedroom, “in case you haven’t guessed, you’re taking the couch.”  
“Yeah, yeah, yes, Boss.” Jane said, as his voice started fading as he went out of the house. As she was putting her clothes in the closet, she heard Jane directing the movers as to where the furniture belonged.  
“Yeah, the couch is good right there and that painting needs to be centered a little more. Over…over…that’s great.” Jane directed.  
Lisbon finished the last of her clothes and started on her underwear, which she placed neatly in the dresser under the window, parallel to the bed.  
Jane called her from the living room. “Katie, baby, can you come here for a minute? Tell me if the living room looks good.”  
Lisbon closed her eyes and let out an annoyed breath, reminding herself to be calm. She reluctantly came into the living room and surveyed it carefully.  
“It looks great.” She said, forcing a smile. She knew Jane knew that she was faking but at the moment she didn’t really care. As long as no one saw through their cover, it was fine. Although, she was already praying that she’d have enough sanity not to murder her “fiancé” before the week was out.  
“You’re right, it does. Thank you all for your help.” He said with a smile, and tossed them some money. They took it and left, leaving Jane and Lisbon alone.  
He smirked at her. “So, Katie, shall we go meet our new neighbors?”  
“First, we need to lay out some ground rules. I know you’ll probably ignore them but if you do, you’re getting shot.” Lisbon reminded him.  
“There’s one reason why that threat doesn’t actually scare me.” Jane replied.  
Lisbon crossed her arms. “Oh, really and why is that?”  
Jane smirked. “Simply because I happen to know your hatred for paperwork transcends any desire to shoot me.”  
“I wouldn’t be so sure about that.” Lisbon muttered bitterly.  
“Come now; let’s see that gorgeous smile, Katie.” Jane teased.  
“Bite me.” Lisbon responded venomously.  
Jane just chuckled in response.  
“As I was saying,” Lisbon began tightly, “the first rule is that I sleep with a gun and if you so much as attempt to climb in that bed with me I will shoot you on sight. Are we clear?”  
“Crystal.” Jane replied cheekily.  
Lisbon rolled her eyes, frustrated with her irritating consultant. “The second rule is that we are to use our cover names at all times. We can’t blow our cover because then all this stress I’m enduring because of you’ll be for nothing.”  
“Now that’s not fair.” Jane commented.  
“What’s not fair is me having to put up with your antics every day, but I do it because I have a job to do.” Lisbon reminded him.  
“Am I really that bad?” Jane questioned.  
“It would take me too long to answer that.” she replied.  
“Ok then, point taken.” Jane said.  
“This brings me to the third rule. This is not play time; we have a killer to catch so no fooling around. Got it? If you screw this up or try anything funny on me…”she began warningly.  
Jane waved his hand. “I know, I know. You’ll shoot me.”  
“Good, you’re catching on. Now, let’s go.” She ordered, starting out the door.

* * *

 As soon as she stepped out of her and Jane’s cover house, Lisbon wondered how anyone lived here. The cookie-cutter houses were conformed to a certain standard and lawns were all perfectly manicured. It looked like Better Homes and Gardens had thrown up on the place. She supposed it was probably a great place to raise a family but she was pretty sure she didn’t want to join the minivan-driving, peanut butter and jelly making crowd just yet. She was happy in her small, cramped, one bedroom messy apartment. It suited her and it felt like home.  
“Nice neighborhood, huh?” Jane commented, shielding his eyes with one hand and slipping his fingers through hers with the other. Her first instinct was to pull away but she remembered her cover and something inside her thought that holding Jane’s hand felt…right and it was in that moment that she realized that she liked it.  
They made their way to the first house which had a basketball hoop and a red minivan occupying the driveway.  
“Remember,” Lisbon whispered, “we have to find out why Laura Dalton was killed. Someone in this neighborhood killed her.”  
“I know.” Jane whispered back.  
Lisbon tugged nervously at the sundress Grace had picked out for her to wear. It was sunshine yellow with thin straps. (“You’re undercover, Boss. You can’t go in there looking like a cop.”)  
“Stop fidgeting,” Jane whispered in her ear, “you look great.” He reached forward and rang the doorbell.  
Something her stomach fluttered when Jane said she looked great, but she forcefully pushed the notion out of her mind and shifted uncomfortably in her wedge heels, desperately missing her work boots.  
A few moments passed and then a young woman in her early thirties came to the door and smiled. Shrieks of laughter could be heard from inside.  
“Hi, you must be the new couple that just moved in across the street. I’m Michelle Kingston. John, my husband, is out running some errands.” She said politely.  
“Hi, I’m Katie and this is my fiancé, Thomas.” Lisbon said with a smile.  
“Pleasure to meet you, Michelle.” Jane said, extending his free hand to shake Michelle’s.  
“You too.” Michelle said.  
“I heard about Laura.” Lisbon said gently.  
Michelle nodded. “Oh yeah, it’s so sad what happened to her, isn’t it? There are people around here who think she was murdered, what her family must be going through.”  
Jane piped up. “Were you close to Laura?”  
Michelle shook her head. “No, but she was really close with her neighbor, Nicole Richards. They were best friends.”  
“Where does Nicole live? We wanted to go introduce ourselves and give our condolences.” Lisbon explained.  
“Two houses down, the white one.” Michelle replied.  
“Thanks.” Jane replied.  
“My pleasure, you’re welcome to stop by if you ever want to meet John or my boys.” Michelle offered.  
“We’ll keep that in mind.” Lisbon assured her, getting up.  
“See you around, Michelle.” Jane said, and he and Lisbon started off to Nicole’s house.

* * *

By the end of their introductions, they’d only learned one thing of interest: One of the neighbors, Dave Holland, had mysteriously disappeared the day after Laura’s murder. They were going to have Grace track him down.  
When they returned to the cover house, Lisbon went to change into pajamas in the bedroom while Jane set up his couch.  
“I’ll call Grace in the morning.” Lisbon told him from the top of the stairs.  
“Night, Katie.” Jane said, smiling a little.  
“Night.” Lisbon responded, settling into the bed.  
Lisbon fell asleep that night, not expecting to dream.  
_All she knew was that Red John had Jane and she had to save him. She was the only chance he had to make it out of there alive. She ran through the blindingly white corridors, seeing a light at the end of the tunnel, hearing Jane calling for her. Her lungs burned but she kept running. When she reached the light, she felt herself suddenly falling into darkness. Finally, she felt herself hit the ground and heard a lamp click on and a chair being pushed into the light._  
_“You’re too late, Teresa.” A cold voice informed her.  
She scrambled to her feet and looked at the man she loved, noticing the deep scarlet line on his throat. Red John was right…she was too late. Patrick Jane was dead._

Lisbon awoke with a start, breathing hard, her jersey and underwear stuck against her body from sweat. She looked around the dark bedroom, assessing her surroundings. Jane wasn’t dead; she was in the cover house Bertram made them stay in for the case. She moved away a hair that was stuck to her face and shakily got out of her bed and crept downstairs for some water. Jane was up and looking at her.  
“Teresa?” he whispered, sitting up.  
She grabbed a glass from the cabinet and filled it with tap water, breathing deeply before taking a long sip.  
“Yeah?” she said, keeping a straight face.  
“You kept saying my name in your sleep, is everything alright?” Jane asked, concerned.  
“Yeah…yeah. Everything’s fine.” she assured him, putting the glass on the counter.  
Jane looked at her sternly and came closer to her, putting his hands on her shoulders. “Lisbon, what happened? Did you have a nightmare?”  
Damn, he was good. She loved and hated the fact that he could see right through her. It made her uncomfortable but at the same time, it made her feel safe; like she could tell him anything and he wouldn’t judge her.  
Lisbon relented. “Fine, yes, I did, ok? Is that what you wanna hear?”  
“About?” Jane pressed gently, his hands still on her shoulders and his eyes still boring intensely into hers. It took everything Lisbon had not to melt into him.  
“You, Red John had you and I was trying to save you but I…I was too late and he…he killed you.” Lisbon admitted.

“I’m right here, ok? I’ll always be right here.” He promised, kissing her forehead.  
The words were out of Lisbon’s mouth before she’d even realized she’d said them.  
“Will you…stay with me? Just for tonight.” she asked softly.  
“Of course.” Jane responded, and they made their way upstairs. Lisbon lay down in the bed and felt Jane slide in next to her. She felt his strong arms wrap around her waist and she looked at him.  
“Thank you, Jane.” She whispered.  
“You’re welcome.” He responded, reaching a hand up to run his fingers through her dark, shoulder-length hair; the other was still resting on her waist. She closed her eyes, realizing she liked this feeling. She wished they could stay like this forever and prayed that morning wouldn’t come.

* * *

Sunlight streamed in through the window and Lisbon awoke to a cold bed and the smell of eggs wafting up from the kitchen. She smiled to herself and got up out of bed. She walked downstairs and Jane smiled at her.  
“Morning, sweetheart. Eggs?” he questioned, and she assumed the term of endearment was for the safety of their cover.  
“A coffee would be better.” she replied, and he brought it to the kitchen table.  
“Thanks.” She said, and he kissed her cheek.  
“You’re welcome, darling.” He responded and again she felt flutters in her stomach.  
She went upstairs after finishing her coffee to find her phone to call Grace. She has decided since the night before that being undercover with Jane wasn’t so bad, that is, when he wasn’t being the smug jackass he normally was.  
She searched through her stuff but couldn’t find it. She went downstairs and looked at him.  
“Ja-Tom, where’s my phone?”  
Jane took her phone out of his pocket and smirked. “What’s the magic word, Katie?”  
“Screw you.” she muttered inaudibly.  
Jane ignored that. “Say please.” he teased.  
“How the hell do you even have that? Tom, give it back.” she said again, reaching for it.  
“I found it on the floor this morning. You’re welcome.” he said, handing her the phone with a mischievous grin.  
She snatched from him and leaned up to whisper in his ear. “I still have a gun. Don’t push it.”  
“Always such a killjoy.” he replied, and she gave him a scathing look as she went upstairs to call Grace, regretting her earlier thoughts about this case with him not being so bad.  
She changed into a gray t-shirt and jeans and dialed Grace’s desk phone.  
“Hey, Boss. How’s it going?” Grace asked conversationally when she picked up.  
“Oh, it’s going great. It’s fantastic.” Lisbon said sarcastically.  
Grace chuckled. “Jane’s messing with you, huh?”  
Lisbon scoffed. “That’s an understatement.”  
“What did you need boss?” Grace asked.  
“I need you to track down one of the neighbors, Dave Holland; he disappeared the day after Laura’s death.” Lisbon told her.  
“You got it; I’ll take Rigsby and get back to you.” Grace assured her.  
Lisbon sighed. “Thanks, Van Pelt.”  
“Listen; try not to kill Jane, ok? I know how much you hate paperwork.” Grace reminded her with a laugh.  
Lisbon groaned. “Great, now you sound like him.”  
“Bye, boss.” Grace said, chuckling.  
An hour later, after receiving brownies and a dinner invitation from the Graysons’ three houses down, Grace called back.  
“Who is it?” Jane asked, his mouth full of brownie.  
“It’s Van Pelt.” Lisbon said, giving him a “be quiet” look.  
“We found him in a crappy motel but he didn’t give us much. He insists he didn’t kill Laura. His alibi is a girl named Rhonda, who he was cheating on his wife with; he says they were going at it in his room during the time of death.”  
“Ok, we’ll keep looking. Thanks Van Pelt.” Lisbon said, hanging up.  
“I knew it. Dave didn’t do it, did he?” Jane asked smugly.  
“Don’t be a jackass.” Lisbon said, rolling her eyes at him. Jane just smirked irritatingly at her.

* * *

For the second time that week, Lisbon awoke in a cold sweat. She hated these nightmares. It wasn’t enough that she had to watch Jane get torn apart psychologically by Red John, now he had invaded her mind too. But as she got up to get a drink, she noticed Jane leaning against the doorframe, studying her.  
“What are you doing in here?” she questioned, a little harsher than she’d meant to.  
“You said my name in your sleep again, I assumed you were having a nightmare and by your obviously fake hostility, I can see my assumption is correct.” he stated, eyes twinkling.  
Lisbon steeled herself not to melt again; Patrick Jane wasn’t going to charm her that easily. She may have liked being his arms that one night, but it was a mistake. One that she was determined not let happen again, even though a part of her insisted that she loved him. She pushed that notion away and frowned.  
“I’m fine.” She replied sharply.  
“It’s ok to need help, Teresa. You didn’t seem to mind it last night.” he pointed out, their cover names pushed aside.  
“Last night, last night was a mistake. I never should have…” she said, faltering.  
Jane sat on the bed and looked at her. “I know you’re afraid, Lisbon. You want to be strong and when you have times where you’re not, you’re afraid to need someone because everyone you depended on in the past is gone. You’re afraid of being hurt. But I’m not going anywhere. I’m right here, Teresa, and I’ll always be right here.”  
Damn him. He was doing it again. He was single-handedly tearing down every wall she had so carefully built around her heart. Walls didn’t stop him. Patrick Jane was the dynamite that blew them to nothing more than rubble. He could see into your soul and see your innermost secrets before you even realized he knew them. God, he was challenging. But challenges weren’t something Teresa Lisbon ever shied away from. Why should Jane be any different?  
“Fine.” Lisbon said, so softly Jane could scarcely hear it.  
Instead of lying down though, Jane looked into her beautiful green eyes and kissed her, and she didn’t stop him. She parted her lips and let him in, and his hands found their way into her dark, shoulder-length locks. He took one hand out of her hair and put it up under her jersey. She pulled it off and she reached to pull off his t-shirt as he laid her down and climbed on top of her, kissing from her neck to her belly button. A moan slipped from her lips and he chuckled against her skin.  
“Problem, Teresa?” he teased and she could feel his boyish smile on her stomach.  
“No,” she breathed, her breath hitching slightly as he kissed her belly button, “no problem at all.”  
Lisbon’s heart begged her to let him go farther but her brain broke through the euphoria she was feeling and forced her to see reason.  
“Jane…stop. We can’t do this.” she told him quietly, regretting the words immediately.  
Jane stopped kissing her neck and she heard an involuntary groan of protest escape from her throat. _But,_ she reminded herself, _you were the one that stopped him. Now tell him why. Tell him why you can’t have sex with him._  
“Why not?” he asked her, looking at her quizzically.  
“The CBI.” she admitted.  
“You think Bertram’s going to find out? Lisbon, we’re not going to tell him.” Jane reasoned.  
“Jane, we work with a team of trained investigators. You seriously think they won’t figure out that their boss and the consultant are having sex?” Lisbon said.  
“Let them. It’s not like they’re going to tell Bertram.” Jane said simply.  
“Jane, I just…” Lisbon started, but she trailed off.  
“Teresa, do you ever let your heart guide you instead of your head? I love you and I’m certain that your sarcastic remarks and scathing glares mean that you love me too.” Jane said with a smile.  
Lisbon smirks. “Oh, you’re sure about that, huh?”  
He put his lips close to Lisbon’s ear and his whisper made her shiver. “Yes, now tell me, Lisbon, what is it your heart wants?”  
It took her only seconds to reply, in a low whisper, “You.”  
With that, he gave her the one thing her heart wanted most: him.

* * *

Lisbon awoke this time to Jane kissing her shoulder.  
“Jane, we’re still on a case, you know. I said this wasn’t play time.” She reminded him, turning around to face him, frowning.  
“Really? Last night sure seemed like it.” He said with a smirk.  
She gave him a serious look. “I don’t know what we were thinking. I never ever get personally involved on a case. We never should’ve done that.”  
Jane sighed. “Teresa, you can’t stop the inevitable. What’s done is done and you can’t just erase what we have. It was bound to happen, if not here then somewhere else.”  
She hated how right he was and she also hated to admit how amazing the night before had been. She pulled out of his arms and pulled on her underwear before starting to pull on clothes from the wardrobe Grace supplied her with in the closet.  
“It was a mistake. Last night was a mistake. One that won’t happen again.” She muttered as he started to pull on clothes as well.  
“Teresa, it wasn’t a mistake,” Jane insisted, “you can keep telling yourself that all you want but it is not going to change what we did or how we feel about each other. I’m not going to break your heart, do you trust me?”  
That stopped her dead in her tracks and she looked at him, contemplating. “With your track record of lying to me and keeping secrets from me; my brain is telling me not to but for some reason that only God knows, I do.”  
“Exactly, so last night was not a mistake and we have something, whatever it is, there’s something between us.” Jane told her, and she came closer to him, both of them dressed now.  
She’d put her hair in a tight ponytail and she was wearing another sundress. This one was white with thin straps and three buttons on the front. He was wearing his normal three-piece suit.  
“I guess you’re right.” She admitted and he put his hand on her cheek.  
Jane smiled. “What do you say we go catch a killer?”  
Lisbon smiled back at him and nodded.

* * *

 

A couple of hours later, they had all the evidence they needed to arrest Laura’s killer. Jane was being insufferably smug about the fact that he was the one who had figured out that the killer was Laura’s best friend Nicole, who killed Laura over a large sum of money that she owed her. Due to the fact that they solved the case earlier than expected, Bertram let them come home that day.  
“I knew it.” Jane said smugly, sitting on his usual old leather couch in the CBI bullpen. Lisbon had traded her sundress for her usual button down shirt, blazer, pants and boots, ponytail still intact.  
“So, did you guys have fun?” Grace asked with a smile.  
“Please, we’re lucky she didn’t kill him.” Rigsby piped up.  
“True, but then she would’ve had to do paperwork.” Cho added.  
“Relax, guys, Lisbon wouldn’t kill me. She’d get in trouble with Bertram because I’m a valuable asset to your team.” Jane reminded them.  
“Or he’ll just remember all the ways in which you pissed him off and thank me.” Lisbon said with a smile.  
“Good to have you back, guys.” Rigsby said.  
“Thanks, Rigs." Lisbon replied.  
Jane gave her a smile and Lisbon smiled back. In that moment, they both knew that the smile meant they would always have each other. Forever.

 


End file.
